Don't Wake The Dead
by The Dark Flair
Summary: Part 1. Sora knew better. If he wanted to talk to Riku, he would have to go to another medium. Happy early Halloween!


**This is a sort of two-shot separated between** _ **JDI Jasper**_ **and myself. Here is** **Part One** **. If you came here from** **Part Two** **on his page, I hope you enjoy! I'll explain more in the end notes.**

x.o.o.x

Don't Wake The Dead

If there was one thing Sora wished for, it was peace and quiet. He was always told that silence was too much to ask for when you were a psychic medium. You would always hear voices of the trapped souls that needed help in order to move on. These voices would call out to him, scream, cry, beg, and threaten to be heard. They always wanted _something_ and it was his duty, along with all the other mediums in his large, but distant psychic community, to make sure they got that.

His beautiful wife, as intelligent as she was, would never be able to understand just how demanding they were. He was in a constant state of unrest and was a borderline insomniac because of his profession. This was the only job he could have without slowly going insane. Most would think the opposite, but he had developed an immunity to the paranormal. The insanity would be trying to live a normal life under these circumstances.

He was not normal. That was the way he liked it.

"You have friends that would like to speak with you now. You may me for communication, but you will _not_ stay past your limit. Do you understand?"

Sora was seated on a floral print couch in the home of a young woman who claimed to be this deceased woman's friend. The woman, Aerith, held onto his hands as instructed, but she had a tight grip on him. This was just another thing he was used to.

The room was silent for all occupants but himself. He had long since trained himself to pick apart the different muffled voices and listen to the one that sounded the clearest. Once this voice was successfully placed aside, he would allow himself to be used by that entity and that entity alone.

He could see a blurry image of a girl behind his eyelids. She was more than willing to use him, but she didn't know how. That meant he would have to push deeper into the ethereal realm to coax her out of the continuous loop that he often called The Gathering.

Soon, he no longer felt Aerith clutching onto him for dear life. He was standing in front of a glass wall, watching the deceased walk by mindlessly on the other side. One of them, a young woman that fit the description of Aerith's friend, was pressed against the glass like a lost child.

"Come with me," he offered, extending his hand towards the glass. She gave him a curious stare. Of course she couldn't pass through; she needed help. Sora reached through the glass with little resistance and wrapped his hand around her wrist. He gently pulled her through, letting the images and scenery around him fade into nothing.

"This is bullshit. We've been sitting in silence for five minutes," the woman's husband snarled.

Aerith rubbed her thumbs against the back of the medium's hands in a soothing matter. "I don't mean to be impatient, but please find Yuffie. I need to tell her that I'm sorry."

Kairi, his wife, watched him warily from behind the couch. His eyes were shut tightly in concentration. She was no psychic, but she'd seen this done hundreds of times before. She knew that this woman was having trouble reaching Sora. Gently, she reached up to muse his chocolate colored hair.

Aerith's green eyes darted back and forth between the brunet and the ginger. "Please, _please_ find _-_ "

Sora's head snapped backwards with a loud, unearthly gurgle. His deep blue eyes were now milk white, allowing him to see a discolored version of everything that went on around him. The possession was a success. Slowly, his head tilted down to look at the woman in front of him. "Aerith?" Sora's mouthed moved, his voice pronounced the words, but it was not him. The entity looked over to her husband, whose face was still marred with a disbelieving frown. "Squally?"

Whatever the meaning behind it was, it was more than enough to bring the man to his knees. His entire face fell apart as he placed his hands over his wife's. The man's voice cracked as he spoke. "Yuffie…oh God…you're the only one who used to call me that."

"I'm guessing you still go by _Leon,_ huh? That's such a boring old business man name."

Once again, a nonbeliever was reduced to sobs as they talked to the one they loved. Leon couldn't speak anymore, but Aerith profusely apologized for something that had taken place ages ago. She learned that the girl had already forgiven her.

Yuffie didn't stay long, but she did tell the two of them that she wanted them to be happy with one another and have the children she couldn't. Once they both agreed, the girl was gone. Sora was pushed back into his own body and it doubled over from exhaustion all on its own. He panted heavily as Kairi pulled him up and began to massage his shoulders. How lucky was he to have such an amazing wife who understood and supported his talent?

"Would you like some water?" she whispered.

He shook his head. Water wasn't necessary, but rest was. "I'll be fine. It's late, so we should be going." Sora turned to the sniffling couple. "Thank you for calling me. It's been a pleasure to help."

The couple paid him, as promised. Leon, the one who hadn't believed one bit of it when he'd first arrive, gave him a tight hug and thanked him with a fond smile.

This was why Sora made these house calls. The look of satisfaction, appreciation, and peace on people's faces once he'd helped them was more than enough payment for him. He loved to help others no matter the cost. That was what made him a top notch medium.

x.o.o.x

Sora considered himself a very blessed man for a number of reasons. His ability to help people, his innate charisma, his unique job, the list could go on. But what really made him feel this way was the way his wife of ten years would take care of him. After a particularly difficult day on the job, she would give him all the attention and affection she had to offer. And if he was a little more stressed than usual, she was more than willing to relieve the tension the best way she knew how.

The brunet stared up at the ceiling with a dazed look on his face. He was completely out of it, but that was normal. Kairi knew exactly what to do- what he wanted, when to kiss him, where his weak points were, how to leave him powerless and trembling after -to make sure she had this specific effect on him every time. His head was spinning from their activities as his hands mindlessly traced her curves, fingertips pressing hard into her flesh as if the action alone would keep her from floating away.

"All better? Or should we do it again?" Kairi whispered softly. Despite his current state, once wasn't nearly enough for him. This woman was everything he could ever ask for and then some; she was much more than he could ever ask for.

"You're tired," he mumbled, reaching up to thread his fingers through her damp hair. She had washed it before they got started, making it curl up the same way it always had when wet. It reminded him of simpler times. The two of them would run down to the beach in their younger years to meet up with their best friend Riku.

That's how he learned of his abilities. On their way to meet Riku, he saw him standing close to the shore. He was so excited to see him, as he always was, but the silver haired teen had tear streaks on his face.

x.o.o.x

"Sora…I'm sorry."

The brunet's brow wrinkled. "For what? What's wrong?"

The older teen jumped back in surprise. "You can…Sora?"

"Yeah…?"

For some reason, this seemed to make him cry more. "I did something stupid. I did something _really_ stupid and I can't undo it!" he sobbed. "Please help me!"

x.o.o.x

Sora had trouble explaining to his girlfriend of three months that Riku was standing right in front of him and talking to him. It was then that his best friend led him back to his house, up the stairs, and into his bedroom.

Where his body lay completely submerged in a tub of bloody water.

He screwed his eyes shut and tried to push the memory away. He hadn't forgotten that and he was sure he never would.

"Do you…?" It was a stupid question. Why was he asking? "You think life would have been better if you would've chosen Riku over me? I mean, sometimes I really miss him. I know it's really dangerous to try to talk to him but-"

Kairi quieted him with a chaste kiss. "Don't think about that. Not now. And don't you dare try to talk to him on your own."

It was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Mediums existed because people needed a way to communicate with the dead so they themselves didn't put themselves in danger. Once you call out to the deceased, _all_ of them will try to answer. They're attracted to feelings of anguish and anxiety. If one isn't experienced, they could mistake a hostile spirit for their loved one, but even experienced mediums could make this mistake if they weren't completely focused and disciplined.

Sora knew better. If he wanted to talk to Riku, he would have to go to another medium. He was too guilt-ridden to do it alone.

"Yeah, I know," he whispered, allowing her to kiss him again. "I just want reassurance that he's okay. You know he always put everybody before himself. He'd lie his ass off if it made us feel better."

Kairi gave him a sad smile. He was making her remember things she didn't want to. "I miss him too. But it's not healthy to hold on to that stuff. It'll start affecting your work."

It already had. While trying to help one of the sprite pass through the week prior, he saw a head of silver hair. It nearly broke him. Ever since then, he had been convinced that Riku was not okay.

"I know," he mumbled. "I'm letting go. Starting now, I'm letting go."

x.o.o.x

What started out as a peaceful sleep turned into restless tossing and turning. Sora's body was slick with sweat from the awful nightmare he was trapped in. He couldn't stop seeing Riku's body. Pale, almost gray flesh rotten and slipping off of the bone as he crawled out of that bath tub with broken and bloodied fingers, reaching desperately for his age old best friend. Black slime oozed from his cracked lips as he opened his mouth to speak. He choked and coughed on the substance, falling face first to the ground. His eye sockets were hollow and black, his nose was crooked, and what was left of his face was sunken in.

" _Run_ …" he hissed through brow, severely decayed teeth. Riku's corpse crawled forward with inhuman speed and latched onto the legs of Sora's pants. "Please…" He repeated himself over and over, each time becoming louder and more desperate.

Sora couldn't move, couldn't speak, and could barely think. Here his best friend was begging for his help and he couldn't do anything.

Suddenly, the brunet was thrust into consciousness as a wave of nausea hit him. He stumbled out of bed and ran into the bathroom to empty his stomach. Hot tears trailed down his face at the guilt, not the pain. He should have been there for his best friend, he should've seen the signs and done everything he could have to help him through his depression. It shouldn't have been that way.

Gasping, he reached up and flushed the toilet. It took all of his strength to pull himself up and walk to his feet. He needed to rinse his mouth, but he also needed to get a grip on reality. The best thing to do was put all of that behind him. It happened over twenty years ago.

Deep blue eyes focused on their reflection in the mirror. Sora was a mess and he definitely looked the part. He panted softly, glaring at the man he saw before him. Why was it that he could help so many people, but he couldn't help the one that mattered before it was too late? Why didn't he do more? He should have…

" _Damn it!_ " he sobbed, slamming the sides of his fists into the edges of the sink. It was painful, but it couldn't compare to the hurt in his heart. He then peeked outside the door to make sure he hadn't roused his lover. She was still fast asleep.

His hands flexed as he desperately searched for his self-control. He was losing it. Something deep in his gut kept nagging at him, telling him that Riku _needed_ help.

"I'm sorry, Kai," he whispered as he shut the door and locked it with a loud click. He was about to do something incredibly stupid, but he needed reassurance. It would take too long to book an appointment with another medium. Kairi would just have to understand.

Exhaling deeply, he stood up straight and looked straight into the mirror. He knew he wasn't like other mediums. His abilities were far more complex than the rest. And though he was capable of doing this, he wasn't supposed to.

Sora placed his hand flat against the mirror, staring into his own eyes. "Awaken, spirits of The Gathering. I am in need of assistance," he spike quietly, but firmly. "I ask that one spirit manifest itself before me now so that I may ask for a favor. In return, I will allow you to use me for communication."

In his peripheral vision, he could see a black and purple mist over his left shoulder. It wasn't really there, so there was no point in turning around to address it.

 **I want to talk to my family** whispered the voice. It had no name, no age, and no gender. It never did.

"Find Riku Ishida and bring him to the mirror."

The mist was quiet for a long while. He started to wonder if the entity had denied his request. Maybe he didn't understand his request bedside he had just entered The Gathering.

 **Are you sure?**

"Yes. Bring him to me."

The mist dispersed into nothing. Before long, Sora was looking at his best friend. He had aged about twenty years, which was unexpected. Spirits weren't supposed to do that. The spirit's eyes focused themselves on Sora. "It's you," he smiled brightly. "I can't recall your name…but I know you were once very important to me. I'm so glad to see you."

Sora didn't care if Riku remembered his name or not. He was just happy to see him, happy to hear his voice again. "That's okay," he sniffed. "I knew something was wrong, so I got in contact with you. You've been trying to tell me something, haven't you?"

Riku's eyes widened with a fervent nod. "I'm okay, but you may not be. Be careful with your body, be _very_ careful. Something powerful is coming after you and I can't stop it. They're feeding off of your guilt and they're using you. _Don't_ let them in."

"W-What's coming for me?" he asked softly.

"The same thing that came after _me_ twenty years ago. It makes you do stupid things and they sound so good at the time. It's dark, but you won't see that until it's too late. I let it inside and it destroyed me. I can't bear to see it happen to you. We…we were friends, weren't we?"

"Yes, that's right. Best friends," he chuckled, wiping away tears with his free hand.

Riku shook his head at his former friend. "You gotta stop crying and blaming yourself. Your self-pity is what's attracting that thing. We can all feel it here. The only way to make it go away is to forgive yourself. _Please_ let go. I'm alright."

The young medium nodded. "I will. I promise I will."

"I'm so glad to hear it. You…" Riku froze. There was a sudden fear in his eyes that he had never seen before. "Dismiss me. Dismiss me, _do it now!_ "

Panicking, Sora wracked his brain for the dismissal incantation. "U-Um…"

"Please don't ever contact me like this again. It knows you're here and it's coming," Riku spoke in a low, hurried voice.

"I'm severing t-the contact between the spirit and myself, the living world from The Gathering. You are dismissed. Goodbye."

 _Goodbye…Sora_

Riku's voice echoed on into oblivion as his image was wiped from the mirror. Sora stared longingly at the space his former friend used to occupy, slowly taking his hand away from the mirror.

"You remembered," he smiled to himself. He felt a little better knowing that Riku was okay. In fact, Riku had been calling out to him in order to warn him against his own demise. Their friendship was still going strong even from beyond the grave. It made him chuckle. That was enough to make him forgive himself. Riku was okay. He would be too.

The tied brunet returned to his bed and slid in beside his wife, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. An unnatural chill crept up his spine, despite the sweltering summer heat.

He could feel someone…something watching him.

x.o.o.x

 **So that was part one. I really enjoyed writing this because I've been in the Halloween spirit since August. But what really pushed me to write this was watching one of my favorite YouTubers play** _ **Beyond: Two Souls**_ **. It's an amazing game.**

 **Part two will be on my friend Jasper's page with the username I mentioned up top. I'm really supposed to be helping him with his fic, but then he goes "So we're gonna let October go by without writing some freaky shit!?" Then this happened.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! Leave a review, if you'd like. Happy early Halloween!**


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